Chapter 93

Chapter 93: I, Huo Zheng, Swear

Chun Zhi said at once: “Cold has invaded your body. Why are you standing out here in the wind instead of staying inside?”

She had been about to go into the room, but when she heard Huo Zheng cough, she turned back to look at him.

With his right hand curled lightly into a fist against his lips, he coughed several more times before he stopped.

In a hoarse voice, he said: “You still had not come back.”

It sounded like Chun Zhi had just abandoned him to do something else.

Chun Zhi wanted to scold him, but for a moment she did not know what to say. She walked forward slowly and said a little stiffly: “Hurry and go inside.”

Huo Zheng stood by the door without moving and asked: “What about you?”

“I am going back in too,” Chun Zhi said: “Who would be like you, knowing it is cold outside and still standing here to freeze?”

She said this, then turned and went back into the room.

Huo Zheng followed her into the main room.

Chun Zhi heard his footsteps and looked back at him, saying: “Why are you following me?”

Huo Zheng said: “You told me to come in.”

Chun Zhi thought: [I told you to go back to your own room. I did not tell you to follow me into mine.]

But once Huo Zheng entered her room, he acted as calmly as if it were his own home. He walked to the table, poured a cup of hot tea, and held it to warm his hands.

Seeing this, Chun Zhi could not help looking at him a little longer.

Huo Zheng stepped forward and handed her the cup.

Chun Zhi asked: “Why are you giving it to me?”

Huo Zheng said: “You kept looking at me. Were you not thirsty?”

Chun Zhi thought: [I kept looking at you because I was wondering how you could act so at ease in someone else’s room.]

Since he had already offered the cup, Chun Zhi took it.

Holding the tea, she sat by the window and looked out. The plants and trees in the yard were covered with a thick layer of snow.

The ground was all silver-white, with a line of footprints across it.

Birds rested on the eaves, chirping.

Chun Zhi thought of her tofu workshop. In spring, swallows always liked to build nests under her eaves. The house was empty now. She wondered: [Will those swallows even come back next year?]

Huo Zheng walked over to stand beside her and looked out along her line of sight.

He did not say anything. He just stayed quietly by Chun Zhi’s side.

Back at the tofu workshop, Chun Zhi had always been busy with this and that and rarely had free time.

Now in Song Manor, she did not need to do anything. She also often stayed with Song Wan’er to visit Song An Lan.

It was hard for Huo Zheng to get even a short time alone with her.

All around was still.

They could only hear their breathing.

Chun Zhi took a sip of hot tea and called softly: “Huo Zheng.”

“I am here,” Huo Zheng answered in a low voice, his eyes fixed on her.

Chun Zhi said quietly: “You found the Revival Blossom for Song An Lan and saved his life. Whatever you want, say it.”

She added: “The Song Clan is the richest in Dongzhou, wealthy across the land. Even if you asked for half of the Song Clan’s property, the brother and sister would agree.”

Huo Zheng asked her: “What about you?”

With dark eyes like ink, he looked at Chun Zhi and said: “If what I want is you, will you agree?”

Chun Zhi lifted her eyes to meet his gaze and said: “Huo Zheng!”

“You are Song Wan’er’s sister, and Song An Lan has recognized you as his sister. You are one of the Song siblings,” Huo Zheng said: “If I used this favor to take you away, would you agree?”

Chun Zhi was silent for a moment and said: “Huo Zheng, you…”

“I thought about using that favor,” Huo Zheng said: “But, Chun Zhi, how could I bear to make things hard for you even a little?”

Chun Zhi fell silent.

“I know Song An Lan saved your life,” Huo Zheng said: “You see him as your benefactor. Whatever he asked, you would not bear to refuse. If not for me, you would not have jumped into the river, and you would not have been saved by Song An Lan. In the end, it all happened because of me. So I repaid that kindness for you.”

He said: “What you owed him, I have paid back.”

Chun Zhi bit her lip and said: “Huo Zheng…”

With a steady face, Huo Zheng said: “Before, I did not know all you were worried about, and I did not know what you feared. Only today do I understand your trouble.”

He said: “Being born into the Imperial House was not my choice. I do not want to drag you into a den of tigers and wolves. But you and I have already tied hair as husband and wife. Since we are husband and wife, we should share one heart and one mind. What you worry about, fear, and want, tell me clearly. I will do all I can to keep you safe and at peace.”

Song An Lan had told Huo Zheng many things over the past few days, and Huo Zheng had thought over those words again and again.

At last, today, he spoke these words to Chun Zhi.

Hearing him, Chun Zhi could not help being moved and asked: “So when you said you would marry me as your wife, you were serious?”

“Of course I was serious,” Huo Zheng said.

Chun Zhi set down the cup and said: “But you are the noble Prince Chang’an. If you marry me, people will laugh at you. Not only that, if you marry me, how will you explain it to your empress mother?”

“That is my matter,” Huo Zheng said at once, seeing that Chun Zhi’s heart was loosening a little: “As long as you nod, I will take care of everything else.”

“You only want to marry me now because you cannot let go for the moment,” Chun Zhi said: “In the future you will have three wives and four concubines…”

Huo Zheng raised his hand like taking an oath and said: “I, Huo Zheng, swear here: in this life I will marry only Chun Zhi as my wife. I will not marry another and I will not take concubines. If I break this oath, let thunder strike me, and let nothing I pray for be granted!”

His vow was fierce.

For a moment, Chun Zhi was stunned.

She lifted her face to look at him and said: “I am only a country girl. What virtue or ability do I have that you would go this far?”

With eyes dark as ink, Huo Zheng looked at her and said: “Chun Zhi, you have no idea how good you are.”

There was only one Chun Zhi in this world.

If he lost her,

The world would never give him another.

Chun Zhi was about to speak when Huo Zheng suddenly coughed again.

He turned his head and covered his lips with his fist, not wanting Chun Zhi to see him looking so weak.

Chun Zhi quickly stood up, helped him sit, and said: “The physician told you to rest well. Why are you not following his instructions?”

Huo Zheng slowly caught his breath and said in a low voice: “Before, you did not care about me…”

Chun Zhi said: “…”

Huo Zheng added: “You only care about Song An Lan.”

Chun Zhi said: “…”

“Enough,” Chun Zhi said: “Go lie down on the bed.”

Huo Zheng asked, testing her: “On your bed?”

Chun Zhi did not refuse, so he took that as agreement. He stood up at once and walked toward the bed.

After one step he remembered something, stopped, and reached out for Chun Zhi to support him.

Seeing this, Chun Zhi had to hold him up.

She helped Huo Zheng onto the bed and pulled the quilt over him. She was about to step away when Huo Zheng reached out to stop her.

He asked: “How long did you keep watch at Song An Lan’s bedside?”

“Not long,” Chun Zhi said helplessly: “Wan’er is the one watching him.”

“Then you watch over me,” Huo Zheng said, shifting inward to make room for Chun Zhi on half the bed.

It was broad daylight, and Chun Zhi did not want to be on the same bed with him. She said: “I will go see if the physician has finished preparing your medicine.”

Huo Zheng wrapped an arm around Chun Zhi to keep her from leaving and said close to her ear: “With you beside me, every illness disappears.”